Taphophobia
by klcm
Summary: No one ever thinks the tech's the one in danger until now...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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**The light was bright, the hands were strong.**

**The air was fresh, the breeze was refreshing.**

**Her chest heaved in the oxygen from her surroundings but she couldn't quite get what she needed. She heaved more, panicking now as her breathing raced.**

**She felt familiar arms pull her into his embrace, she heard familiar voices. The brightness still there, she couldn't depict people in amongst the lights.**

**She felt the burn of millions of tiny bites but had no idea what was happening, she was confused, dazed, free.**

**Then she opened her eyes fully, she was still in her glass coffin, in her makeshift grave.**

**Not free at all.**

**Confined.**

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**TBC**

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**A/N: **So this came into my head and won't leave me be so I'm writing it and putting it out there!

Well ENJOY!

REVIEW!!


	2. Turning Up Missing

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

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The team trailed in, it was late, it was dark outside and a case needed signing off. They took their seats, soon their wake up call would flutter in, Penelope Garcia, the team's tech, the teams light would walk in with the perfect joke and lighten them up.

They waited, and waited, but she never turned up, she never came to cheer them up.

Derek was the first one that stood, he walked down to her office, matched in, but halted still, the place was a mess, and no Penelope was there. He turned and saw they'd all joined him.

'We need CCTV of the corridor and all exits out.' Hotch said bursting into life. 'We need forensics here now.' They all went to the bullpen, all in an evident panic. The last case forgotten they got to work doing what they needed to get their friend back. Now the team watched as forensics worked in the office that was like a second home with all its humour and fun between the job and its cases. Now it was a crime scene.

'This can't be happening... not to Garcia.' Derek said his mind thinking of what was happening to her, then there computers buzzed and all shut off, then flickered on, the television on the wall did the same thing, they watched intently.

'_**No one ever protects the tech.'**_

The words were there in blood red with a black background. Then a picture flashed the screen, Penelope entrapped in a box, her eyes closed, her hands bound. They all continued to stare as it disappeared.

'Bastard!' Derek said and hit the wall in anger. There was his baby girl, taken, he didn't know if she was hurt, but he knew she was in mega danger. They were on a time limit now. 'Reid!' He said and startled the youngster. 'If whoever's got her is burying her, how long have we got?'

'I don't know, if she's got air she'll be fine for a couple of days, maybe a week, if she hasn't she's not going to last more than an hour or two.' The last fact was grim but fact at that. There was no changing that.

'It's got to be someone that knows the team.'

'Yeah someone that knows that Pen hardly ever comes out on the field with us.'

'They're right, we don't protect her enough, we just assume she's forever safe in her office.' Hotch said joining the group. 'The forensics found no other DNA but ours and Garcia's, there's nothing, the blood from a fight is Garcia's, and CCTV shows an unknown male, he and Garcia walked out normal, wherever she got cut, got covered up... he's good.'

'But even the good trip up sometime.' Derek said aloud and left the room for some space.


	3. Profiling At It's Best

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

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Penelope awoke to near darkness, the air was stuffy and she immediately went to stretch but couldn't and then the realisation hit her that she had been taken. She looked up, little remnants of sun flooded through but slowly it was disappearing. She began to bang on the roof what the box, screaming for freedom as the tears began to fill her eyes and fall, she knew this wasn't going to get any better.

'Let me out!' She screamed with each knew hit, all she heard was more dirt get added to the pile.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

'One of Penelope's biggest fears is being buried alive... he could be using that.' Derek said pacing, his voice panicked. 'She hates clowns but out of the two which one would evoke more fear?'

'Buried alive brings about a larger sense of death.' Reid commented. 'The idea of being under all that dirt, where no one can hear your screams, hear your bangs and attempts to get free, the idea of being alone induces a wider sense of fear.'

Derek closed his eyes, the only image he got was a true reflection of what was happening except for him it was his imagination, for Penelope it was reality.

'There's got to be some DNA trace in the office, somewhere.' Emily asked as she sat watching the CCTV footage again, then her eyes widened. 'There's a rip in his jacket.'

'Yeah a rip.' Derek snorted disappointedly.

'No there's missing fabric, was there any found?'

'No... I think we need to go and have a look.' Hotch said and walked down to Penelope's office, entering he looked around, the place had to be tidied still but he could tell that a piece of fabric could have gotten lodged in any of the many nooks and crannies in the room. He began to search before Reid and Emily joined him and began looking too.

They were about to give up when Reid just caught sight of a bit of cloth in between two of the hard drives under the desk. 'I've got something.' He told them as he looked for something that he could use to pull the piece of fabric out without applying his DNA to.

With it finally retrieved they laid it flat while Emily ran to get a clear bag that they could put it in. Hotch leant in to inspect it closer. 'It's go blood on it, I don't know if it's enough to get a conclusive identity on but it's worth a shot.'

'She wouldn't have gone without a fight, that's not her style, not after Battle and Kevin.' Reid told him, as he stood looking at the room that should house the liveliest person he loved. 'He couldn't have hurt her a lot... he must have made it look like the fight was more but if he had hit her more, and slammed about, the noise would have attracted someone... he was precise.'

'So you think he frightened her, got her to a state where he had control and manipulated her... like he threatened her with something?'

'Something that made would make her selfless, something that would make her give up without a major fight.'

'Us.' Hotch concluded and left the room, Reid stayed back until Emily was back and then the two of them rushed after him, straight into the bullpen. He was talking to Rossi and Derek, JJ was just joining them as they heard Hotch. 'We think he used a lure to get her out without difficulty... he had no weapon on him, the gap between him and Garcia on the CCTV footage is friendly and his made it relaxed... she doesn't look too frightened, more at ease that she's doing something right by someone.' The team looked at them all confused, all apart from Reid. 'What does Penelope cherish the most in her life?'

They all thought at once and took in a sharp intake of air together. 'Us.' Hotch nodded to confirm their thoughts.

'So if he put danger on us, she's immediately done the one thing she knows to do.'

'She's put herself in the firing range to keep us out of more danger?'

'Exactly.' Hotch retorted as the thought of someone near enough blackmailing Penelope got to him more than before. 'Which means that he could be going for a team attack, but knowing the ins and outs of our workings would make it easier for him to get at us.'

'So he knows full well that Penelope's part of the team but stays behind.' Derek added thoughtfully. 'So he is either part of a unit that works with us, a friend of one of us that's met us all or been involved with a case somehow.'

'But who that's been involved in a case would take our tech and bury her?'

'Victims family... one that we were on the job but didn't get to in time?' Reid quizzed. 'I mean intentionally burying someone alive was used as a form of torture if not a form of execution.'

'So he's either going to leave Penelope in a box somewhere or his going to release her?'

'Or continually move her.' JJ added and then the hum of the computers and screens changed and all went black, they all looked intently, waiting for normalcy to return but it didn't. Instead a video footage of Penelope panicking appeared, they watched her bang on the sides as she tried repeatedly to get the bindings of her wrists, when she finally succeeded she hit more forcefully, then with a crackling the noise rang out in the bullpen. They listened to her scream for freedom, all the time their stomachs bottomed and their worry escalated. The fear that reverberated in their ears as Penelope sobs took over from her utter terror, proved the hopelessness that had now engulfed her and that in itself just implanted more determination and trepidation in all of them.

They were now going to hunt everywhere to get her back, to stop her from feeling all the fear she was in, they were getting their family member back whether it killed them or not.


	4. On The Right Track

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

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'Motherfucker.' Derek muttered angrily and swung round and hit the wall with a sickening crunch. Everyone gasp, Derek just shook his hand out and stared at the hole he'd left. He didn't react after that, he just shut off and got to work, slotting himself onto a power drive, doing his all to get her back.

'We have an ID.' Rossi exclaimed almost excited, as though it was the biggest breakthrough in all time history. 'Steven Mayer, case 5 months ago, in house torture and abduction before dumping, we got there just too late to save his sister.'

'I remember him; he worked with Garcia because there was a trophy taken from his sister's house and put in the next victims house, it something that would have meant something.'

'Yeah it the coach of the girls swim team, he was the one that cracked it really.'

'So what, he's avenging the fact he did our job by challenging us?' JJ asked worriedly as the pieces slowly fitted together. 'That case was near here.' She said as though a spark ignited. 'According to the CCTV footage, Garcia was only gone within an hour, and we got the first video link not long after... he can't have gone far.'

'Nearest woodlands is a 45 minute drive.'

'Nearest clearing is over an hour... for it to be that, he'd have had to have had the hole ready.' Reid added as he made mental calculations. 'But the colour of the soil is more woodland than rural... its too dark.' He placed a pen to his lip thoughtfully. 'Rural mud would be lighter from too much light exposure and too little rain, woodland mud traps in moisture more because the...'

'Sun doesn't have the chance to absorb it.' Derek finished off, for once getting on Reid's train of thought, feeling like they were making progress. 'So we need to work out what woodland there is around this area and knuckle down to where he could have her.'

'But woodland isn't small; it's going to take us longer to find her than it is the time Garcia has left.' Reid commented as his head went over all he could. 'We need to be precise; she's running out of time.'

'Which means we all are.' Hotch added morosely, they all looked at once as the humming changed, they knew the noise, they knew what it mean, they knew that the person behind this all was torturing them as much as he was Penelope.

The screens changed and Penelope came into view, her body frozen, her chest heaving and Derek knew she was having a panic attack, she'd told him all about how she felt about confined spaces where she couldn't stretch out and have enough room, how her brothers had played a practical joke on her and in turn she'd got trapped and to put it in layman's terms, she been buried alive at the age of 7. He knew that right now, all those thoughts whizzing around her head in that instance were of her past and how she'd panicked for freedom.

They all heard her breath as it quickened, all heard her muffled sobs as she tried to stop them, they heard her panic in every exhale she produced and they knew there and then that if air was limited she wouldn't be able to focus and think rationally about preserving it, to her there was nothing rational or helpful that could be done.

And then Penelope froze more so than before, her eyes shot open and her expression changed from panic and hopelessness to pure fear and expectancy. Light emblazoned the area around her and feet hit the spare room around her. Hands grabbed her pulled her as she panicked, they heard her struggle, saw her shock, heard her gasp and in that instant they knew that they were on the right track to who it was. Then the only view they had was an opened coffin of where Penelope once lie, and that's how it stayed. Even more torture.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Penelope's head pounded as the morning break of sun flooded her vision, everything was just one big ball of light, there was nothing to it as her eyes adjusted.

'Why are you doing this?' She asked feeling more inferior. 'Let me go... please.' She pleaded with him; not knowing that in the box with that camera was a microphone, the team hearing it all.

'No way... you didn't save her, so they're going to have to save you.' He told her, watching her look around animal like, vulnerable, he stepped forward and connected his fist with her skin. The team heard the sickening crunch. 'Now that's was just to show you what I'll do if you run... even slightly, don't think you're clever because there's lots of hiding places around, I'll find you but now...' He didn't finish the sentence, just grabbed her and pulled her away.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Derek placed his head in his hands, he was helpless to protect her and that was unhinging things in him that he didn't even know what they were or what he was going to do about them. JJ and Emily slumped into their chairs, their attention on the screens, too shocked to work at that moment. Reid paced, Hotch and Rossi soon joined that idea, all three did so differently.

'He tripped up.' Reid squeaked up after moments more of thought. 'Now that was just to show you what I'll do if you run... even slightly, don't think you're clever because there's lots of hiding places around, I'll find you but now...' He repeated word perfect. 'Lots of hiding places...'

'Yeah, still could be anywhere.'

'It proves that we're on the right track, its the right man, it's a wooded area, tree's would provide the hiding places, but he's buried her in an open area in a wooded area, the amount of light and the shadows we saw when the lid was opened up proved that.'

'Well then we look at that geographically.' Hotch told them forcefully. 'I want at least two of the best tech's working on this.'

'She's the best.' Derek grumbled.

'Well we'll have to go with second best. We need a team to go to Steven Mayer's place, see if there's any indication of his plans, any maps, we need access to his computer to see if he's been researching local area's... I want everything private about him made public knowledge... now.' Hotch said and left them in the bullpen as he walked to his office.

There was no way he was going to slip up on this, they were getting her back.


	5. Time Limit

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

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The screens flickered shut off and momentarily flashed back to life, they looked at one another confused. 'Is the video feed faulty?'

'No it's a different box.' Reid commented.

'What? How can you tell?'

'Look at the angle, it's slightly over to the left, it's a different box.' Reid continued as if it were just simple. It had been nearly 30 minutes since they'd see any moving shoulders, all they'd heard was ranting, not Penelope's and Rossi and Derek were now leading a group of SWAT to Mayer's house in the hope to unearth some sort of plan.

Hotch's cell rang; he placed it directly on speaker. 'What you got?'

'We've got video feeds, maps, multiple areas circled.' Derek told them rushed. 'It's a second box, he has the plans, this one's got an air supply which will cut off completely taking all oxygen with it after an hour then start up again after 10 minutes, he's keeping it systematic, like he wants us to find her.'

'Reid...' Hotch said turning to the youngest of them all. 'If he keeps doing that, what will happen to Penelope?'

'She'll near suffocate by the end of the first 10 minutes, after a couple of minutes or so, she'll be unconscious from lack of oxygen to her brain, she won't be able to last it out and still be conscious. Brain cells start to die after 3 minutes, by 8 to 10 minutes it might be too late.'

'Morgan!' Rossi's voice came out. 'We have 2 locations.'

'Did you get that guys?' Derek asked hopefully, they heard him running towards Rossi's voice. 'Is it far?'

'Just off Virginia highway.'

Speaking got louder from the computers and the team turned back. 'Morgan, Rossi, get to a computer, there's movement.'

They heard dragging this time, and saw Penelope get thrown down into the see through coffin, it must've be high because there she lie, completely winded from the impact, leaving no time for her to get up and stop the lid from being closed. Once her composure was back, even if minimal, they watched as tears streamed from her eyes as dirt upon dirt was piled on above her, closing off all daylight and her plea's to let her out. The hopelessness exuding her once more. The hopelessness exuding them all now.

'Hotch!' Rossi's voice burst the concentration of the others from the screens. 'We've sent on the co-ordinates, me and Morgan are going to get there. We can get her out.'

'Right, we'll follow now.' Hotch told them and the phone line went dead, he looked at his team. 'I think 2 of you should stay here, keep us updated on Penelope's conditions, let us know if he changes course, anything...'

'Me and Reid will stick here, any change, you'll be the first to know.' JJ told him, her calm and controlled aura all over her now. Her and Reid just sat and watched the video feeds, awaiting news on them getting closer, they'd see when the team got there, and hopefully they'd get to watch their friend get rescued.

As they watched the darken screen with Penelope lit up by the green light they realised that the timer was on, they'd already wasted precious minutes with leaving, they had an hour to get to her before all the air around her was taken. They had to keep faith.

JJ didn't flinch once as movement continued around her, she just watched her friend as her body absorbed pain and panic. She looked at Reid as a bit more defeat entered and stuck in Penelope's body, as their friend began to give up and give in to her fear. Occasionally they saw her beat the top of the box in frustration only for moments later to break down into a new flood of tears that would last a couple of minutes before silencing.

Again strengthening their hopelessness.

Rossi and Derek were near enough on a rampage, after the decision was made for them to go to one location each; they were racing against the clock, panic overload occurring but the urge to save in over drive with it.

When they both made it all that was there was a mound of loose dirt, no idea or indication that Penelope was at the bottom of it, all they knew was that she was under one of them. Both their watches bleeped, their hour was up.

'Dig now!' Derek said a mass progression of work began, he watched as more man power was needed and he had to step aside, soon the mud was low enough and they could see in. He jumped down hopeful to see his baby girl's face but the box was empty. 'Fuck.' He said and jumped out.

He then set off at a sprint to his SUV so he could get to the other site, when he made it, he found a similar view that he had been involved in, he parked and got out running to Rossi. 'Empty site, this has to be her.' He told Rossi and saw the older man nod with some sort of mere optimism.

'Hit the box!' One of the workers called out and Rossi and Derek made their descent to the hole, Hotch joining them was no shock, they knew he wouldn't hang around for too long; Emily hovered back, knowing that the hour was over.

JJ and Reid looked at one another when they watched the hour go by, they leaned in and saw Penelope gasp for air as the sufficient levels began to dwindle, they saw her suffocating in the tight area, her hands pushing around for some type of way to make the area bigger and get more air, they heard her tearful gasps for air before her body began to shut down. They sat motionless just waiting for the break of light to flood the box.

Derek was the one who leapt down, and his heart flurried when he saw Penelope look at him, her eyes tired, her expression one that looked like she'd given up, and his heart clenched painfully as he saw her eyes close on him.

He wrenched the lid off and picked her up, getting her out, the EMT's checked her over, finding no pulse on her at all.


	6. Air

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

* * *

They stood watching the EMTs working around Penelope incessantly, there were no pauses to their work, and just when things were looking like they were about to call it out came a large gasp and a violent struggle from Penelope to get free.

They fought to keep her down, her breathing racing, her sobs ringing out and Derek was the first to react, the first to sense her distress, the first to reach her. He knelt down at her head.

'Baby girl.' He spoke softly and saw her struggle weaken. 'Look at me P.' He told her and slowly she opened her eyes, the same tiredness in them, her chest heaving, her lips slightly parted with each new heavy exhale and inhale. 'I need to calm down, you're safe.' She nodded and her thrashing stopped altogether, she closed her eyes, almost scared, as she felt Derek slip his hand into hers.

The EMT's continued to sort Penelope out, IV inserted, placed an oxygen mask over her face to get her the amounts that her lungs were evidently calling out for. All the time Derek remained by her side, never letting her free hand go, not even as they loaded her into the ambulance, he wasn't moving from her side.

Nearing the two hours mark of separation, Derek had become a compulsive pacer, the others had taken seats sans Hotch, who had periodically marched to the desk to ask for more information, always coming back empty handed.

'Doctors just coming.' He said, all the tension released from his tone, a slight reassured smile twisting the corners of his lips. 'She's going to be okay.' He reinforced, more directed at Derek than any of the others. Derek's current behaviour didn't leave much to their imagination of how he'd have been had he arrived earlier when Penelope was shot nearly over a year ago.

'Penelope Garcia?' A female doctor called out and they stood and approached her eagerly. 'I was warned that a big group was waiting, I'm sure you want to see Miss Garcia?' They nodded, and she smiled. 'Well I can take you down in a moment, but I'd just like to say I'm pretty optimistic of Miss Garcia's recovery.'

'So she's going to be okay?'

'The next couple of days, even week or so, are going to be troublesome, in the sense that she's going to have some back pain from where she was dropped, and she has a broken collarbone which is already showing enormous bruising, we'll need to assess the severity of the break more when the swellings reduced. Her breathings a little racy for our liking, which means we'll have to keep her on oxygen until she can regain a normal rhythm, for the moment it's possibly due to the fact she was starved of oxygen and the CPR performed on site.' She smiled at them reassuring. 'As for the lack of oxygen, she appears to have no brain damage; she's going to be a little disorientated and she's got a bit of a headache but apart from that and evident treatment for exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition she's going to be fine.'

Fine. That one word snaked around them and pulled on them tightly, they'd gotten to her in time, they'd saved her in time, and they hadn't lost her. All they had to do was get her through this and get Mayer's locked up and she'd be completely fine.

'It might be easier for you to go in, in 3's rather than at once, or at least until she tells you any difference. Everything's she's gone though is going to have left her very mentally unsettled, more people around her might enclose her and cause a panic attack, so let her go at her rate until she's decided what her limitations are.'

They all nodded, knowing that psychologically Penelope would be reeling from the aftermath of what had happened. They knew that out of everything she'd need them to be strong to help her pick up whatever pieces of her life were dismantled and strewn around her and they all exchanged looks that verified that they were going to do just that.

'We're going to be in and out, mainly nurses but we can work around you, so go ahead, she kept asking for a Derek, maybe it'll be wise for him to go in.' They nodded as she stopped outside of a room, she opened the door and they all left Derek to go in on his own for the moment.

She looked at him and immediately she smiled slightly at him, her hand tearing the mask off her face. 'Hey handsome.' She whispered to him.

'Hey baby girl... how you doing?'

'Bit back and forth... where are the others?'

'Outside, we've been told to come in as 3's until you're up for more.'

'Yet here you are on your lonesome.'

'The doctor said you were asking for me, so thought it might be wise and the guys took a step down for the moment.' She nodded at him. 'Any particular reason you wanted me?' He watched her shrug and sat down on the bed, gathering her hand in his. 'Come on talk to me.' He prodded at her gently, knowing she needed to open.

'I'm just a little scared.' She whispered. 'I saw you then and I knew you were going to save me but I just couldn't hold on anymore so I gave up.' She looked away from me, tears threatening to fall. 'I'm sorry.'

'Hey Pen... you have nothing to be sorry about, nothing at all, this wasn't your thought. We all saw the struggle you went through.'

'You saw?' She asked confused. 'How? I mean I was in a box.'

'There was a camera, he kept linking us up, told us we didn't protect you enough and to be honest, we don't. We all assume you're the safest but you're not and I think this has made us realise how vulnerable you are.'

'I am safe in that office, I knew him, I knew he wasn't bad until he just changed on me. I wouldn't have let him up; he told me had to speak to someone on the team. I let my guard down, that isn't normal behaviour, we've never had people come in once a case has been ended.'

'Don't you dare blame yourself... this is nowhere near your fault, it could've happen to any of us.' He told her gently, trying to ease her concerns. 'What he did was use the way our team works to his advantage, we've never seen how vulnerable you are and I want to kill him for what he did to you Princess. We aren't giving up on this one.'

'I thought as much.' She closed her eyes as she took a long drag of pure oxygen, lapping up the feeling that her lungs were contracting on nothing, merely clenching with not getting the oxygen to keep them inflated. However, with the long drags came the exacerbation of pains, one that ricocheted from her back, shooting over her shoulder.

'Pen... you okay?' Derek asked concerned as he saw the worry paint over her face. 'Baby girl... want me to get someone?'

'No... it's just it hurts every now and then and I'm pretty sure that soon I'll begin to rattle with the amount of pills I've got in me right at this moment.' She looked at him tiredly again. 'Why don't you guys go home... you've got to be worn out, looking for me and all, I'm not going anywhere, not with all the wires and monitoring.'

'I think we've found our place to stay tonight baby girl.'

'It's not in a bed right?'

'Nope... the chairs can be pretty comfortable when you want them to be.'

'Can I not play the hospital card this one time?'

'Na uh... so do you want them outside or inside... the doctor said you might not like to be crowded.'

'I'm sure I can tell you when I'm not coping right?'

'That you can goddess.' He stood, kissed her forehead and walked towards the door.

'Derek?'

He turned. 'What's up?'

'Don't leave me.'

'I'll go when you're ready but I know right now you need someone to get you through this.'

'Thank you.'

'No worries princess.' He said with a smile, he knew she was scared, even after admitting it she got worried and was trying to rebuild walls to protect herself from whatever was going to be thrown at her. 'Get some rest, I'll shoo them away to get food and then we'll be here when you need us.' He then left the room calm and collected, making haste to get back to her.


	7. Making Up The Support

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

* * *

'This is ridiculous.' Penelope grumbled as day 3 hit and the team were still gathered sporadically around the room. The hospital weren't in any hurry to get rid of her and that was aggravating her. She was adamant that she wasn't in pain but each of the team had caught moments where Penelope's would twist with discomfort or she'd sit in silent and stare as though she was trying to focus on something other than what had happened to her.

'What's up Goddess?'

'Nothing.' She hit his worries away, not about to admit that she was indeed going to be dependable on someone for a bit.

'Talk Garcia.' Hotch said his tone told her that they may use force to get her to speak up and she didn't want to risk whatever form of prodding, black mailing and/or guilt tripping they'd used, they already shown that they were leaving her alone and that they were there to help her.

'I can't do anything properly.' She told them in an agitated moan. 'I can't write, I can't work, I can't get up on my own because of stupid pains and a stupid sling.'

'Well it looks like you'll be dependent on us baby for a bit.' She released a frustrated groan, even at Derek's concern. 'I was thinking maybe a giant hamster ball would be fitting for you for Christmas.'

'Excuse me?'

'Well, it can be like a giant protecting sphere.'

'I think that'd attract me attention rather than divert it.' She told them, her mood evidently lightening up slightly. 'No one likes a blonde in a hamster ball.'

They all laughed at her, that type of comment proved Penelope was well and truly bouncing back, she relaxed a little as they all finished up laughing. 'Classic moment.'

'Oh God... mental images.' Emily said wiping her eyes.

When they looked at her next her expression was docile, yet deadly serious. 'Will you all vacate this room please?'

'Why? They chorused near enough together.

'I want rest; I want you to rest, so leave.' She told them politely, her lips slightly smiling. 'Plus don't you have jobs?'

'We do, but not until Monday.'

'That's a week off! Why the hell would you take time off?'

'Because... one of our own is hurt and because we've all fallen into the personal, professional stress league of life... Strauss will not let us work.'

'Damn woman.'

'Baby girl, why aren't you happy we have time off?'

'Because it means I'm going to be baby sat for the whole week.'

Well if that's how you feel...' Rossi said standing; they all knew what he was up to. 'I mean, we won't take you home in the morning.'

'You wouldn't dare.' Penelope said shocked, she didn't know she was actually being released from the place.

'Well you did say you wanted rest.' JJ said standing up to join Rossi as the others prepared to fill in with the pretence.

'Oh come on! I thought we were a family! Sticking by one another. You can't leave me in this place alone!'

'I do believe you Prentiss owe me 5 bucks.' Derek said as he sat back in his chair smugly.

'You placed bets?'

'Yeah that you'd pull this crap because you're stuck in a hospital bed... Prentiss wanted to believe it was purely down to you and your hard headedness and drive for independency.'

Penelope suppressed laughter. 'Well, if I say it's due to both do I get to win the bet?

Everyone looked at each other shocked. 'Why the hell did no one bet it was both?' They groaned and threw the money at her.

'Because I'm a nice friendly woman, take your own money back.' She told them, not realising they'd actually give her the money. 'Now. Take it before I change my mind.'

'Pen?' Derek asked after a couple of minutes of silence took over, she looked at him questioningly. 'I'm going to take you to Chicago.' He told her and she looked at him confused. 'We think it just might be wise to get you away for a bit, while we get the guy, give you time to recuperate.'

'But why Chicago? I can stay at my place.'

'Garcia, we decided that if anyone Derek's the one that's going to be front runner for helping you, we saw that the other day and well we think a new setting might help you a bit.' Penelope nodded a little uncertain. 'We thought it might help.' Hotch continued sensing a feeling of disapproval.

'I don't know what's going to help me right now.' Penelope admitted a little too quiet that had they not been fully listening they would have missed it.

'Well let's see if this works, if it's not you can always come home.' Hotch continued and they watched Penelope's behaviour, he quickly exchanged a look with Derek and stood up. 'Right let's go get something to eat, we'll bring something decent back.' He ushered everyone out of the room and left Derek with Penelope.

'You okay baby girl?' He said keeping it calm, he relaxed in the chair making sure his body language was open; he watched her shrug and then gasp with the pain that shot out from her collar bone. 'You going to learn to stop that for awhile?'

'I guess so.'

Derek leant forward at hearing her voice. 'Pen, what's wrong?'

'I don't honestly know. I'm fine one moment and then everything gets a little on top of me and I seem to crash and right now I've crashed.'

'Is there anything I can do to help?'

'When I think of it I'll ask.' She signed sadly. 'Why are you taking me to Chicago really?'

'Well we have time off, I want you to meet my family and while we're at it I want you rested and I feel that being here for a bit with the team still looking for Mayer you'd do better when you're not so focused on Quantico.' He told her with a small smile. 'We don't have to go.'

'We do... I'll do it for you.'

'We aren't doing it for anyone offer than you P.' He told her with a larger smile. 'Everything we plan to do is to help you, all you have to do is tell us when to stop and we'll stop but right now we're doing everything we can to make real to us that we didn't lose you.'

'This isn't a dream right? I mean at one time I actually thought you'd got me out but I woke up in that box and then when he took me out and moved me I seriously thought it was over.'

'It's over now baby girl... completely over. You're safe now.'


	8. For His Baby Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

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Penelope was slowly believing she wasn't going to wake up in the box come day 5, she sat in her room and since leaving the hospital today was definitely the worse day of it all.

She heard Derek tap on the door and she sighed, he hadn't left her side and as much as she loved the fact that her best friend was definitely his old self she couldn't help but feel selfish in the sense she'd taken his life away.

'Pen... come on.' She looked down at herself, she'd been in the room nearly 20 minutes and she wasn't dressed, when she didn't reply he let himself in. 'Baby girl... what's going on?'

'I'll be out in a minute handsome.' She told him, but her tone didn't match what she wanted to tell him and she bit her lip as the feeling of crashing and burning consumed her once more.

He didn't buy it, the instant he saw her still in pyjamas, the tone of voice, the non movement; he knew she was shrinking again. 'Baby girl... you having trouble?'

She shook her head, and the tears spilt out, she was just happy that her back was to him and not her fast; her tears could remain silent and unnoticed but just as sod's law would have it, Derek crossed the room and crouch in front of her. His hands wiping her tears away, a gentle smile on his face.

'Now, what's up?'

'I'm in way too much pain to do this on my own.' She admitted somewhat defeated but she knew that if she didn't up and tell him, he'd only prod and dig until she told him. 'I thought I could do it but I can't even unbutton my top without aggravating some pain.'

'Well, you want me to help? I promise not to look.'

'I know not to be embarrassed in front you.' He smiled at those words. 'I mean you're my best friend right?'

'More than that.' He told her and stood. 'Right what you want to wear?'

'JJ put the stuff on the chair.' She told him and heard him laugh as he picked clothes that belonged to him. 'You can have them back.' She told him, she'd had those bottoms since she was shot.

'No I think they're private property of Penelope now.' He joked and she laughed in an exhale. 'Right well let's get you dressed and then we can head to the airport.' She nodded and allowed him to help her get changed, he gave her the privacy she needed, although he wanted to steal looks but he didn't allow himself.

'You can look Derek, I'm covered up.' And as he looked he heard him intake a sharp breath. 'It looks bad I take it?'

'Painful, but fadeable.'

'No tops going to cover it up so I got live with it.'

'Temporarily that is.' She nodded as Derek's fingers gently ran over the bruise of purples, blacks, reds, and yellows. 'Can I quickly look at your back?' She nodded silently once more and he quickly stood and she heard him near enough growl with anger and his finger tips ran the course of markings.

'It'll go.' She told him without gasping. 'It'll all go.'

'Right.' He said after a couple of moments of silence. 'Let's get you ready.' He said and stepped in front of her again and got the rest of her ready. When he was done he helped her stand up and everything the doctor had warned them played out, not only that Penelope still looked exhausted and to him she looked ill but he thought maybe that was mind over matter, that maybe his fear of losing her was just playing with him.

He kept a protective arm around Penelope the whole time and even more so when he made it to Chicago, he'd watched her sleep most of the flight, and he'd noticed that she hadn't picked up from her earlier down point and he couldn't help but frown at her behaviour but he understood she was recovering and that was why he wasn't at work, to help her recover.

'You doing okay Pen?'

'Yeah thanks handsome.' She told him quietly and smiled up at him, it was at a time like this that she couldn't help but love him more, but the thing that mattered was that he was helping her. She would just have to disobey her feelings, at least where Derek was concerned.

When she found herself at Derek's mom's front door, the nerves hit her full throttle, she realised that she was indeed in Chicago, about to meet Derek's family, she was staying in a new place to get better and the prospect scared her slightly. Derek felt her shudder slightly and his head snapped round to find Penelope staring looking paler than before, her eyes wider than usually.

'Pen.' He said turning, ignoring the fact that the door was opening. 'What's wrong?'

'This isn't right.' Penelope muttered almost sadly.

'Once we've got you settled you'll be fine, I promise you and if come tomorrow you don't feel any better then we'll take you back... okay?' Penelope nodded and looked up to see Derek's mom staring at her motherly.

'Mom... the plane was a little delayed.'

'Well you're here now so come on in.' Fran said smiling; her concentration on Penelope, the blonde next to her son looking timid and vulnerable, Derek's hand in hers almost protectively. When she'd received the phone call from Derek to say he was coming to stay and bringing a friend with him she didn't expect this but then for her son to even do this meant there had to be good reason and she knew she'd know soon enough.

Patience being a virtue, she left introductions until later as Derek disappeared with Penelope, he took her to his old room and got her settled, physical and mental exhaustion plaguing her again. He knew she had to be getting better but he knew if his baby girl was good at one thing alone it was bottling things up and right now she was doing just that.

His final decision when he left her sleeping was to give her a time limit, if she didn't let him in soon he'd wade his way in and force her to break every defence down but for now he had to let his mom know the true reason as to his almost random appearance there with the girl he'd spoken about for years.


	9. Cracking

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

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Derek had sat next to his mom for too long without breaking his silence, so when he did break it he felt every bit of his demeanour crumble and fall. Fran took her son in her arms and knew there and then that her child had kept himself together through one of the hardest times of his life and only now had he allowed himself to break behind closed doors.

'That's Penelope isn't it?' She asked soothingly and Derek nodded, not making any other noise. She had never met the woman but she knew that the way her son was that that was the woman her son thought he'd ruin the chance of getting a friendship from. 'Come on Derek, you need to let me in, what's happened?'

'I thought I'd lost her mom, like really lost her.'

Fran pulled away from her son in that instant, the emotions in his voice, the drama that had played out, she looked him dead in the eyes. 'Start from the beginning.'

Derek breathed in. 'Penelope was kidnapped 5 days ago.'

Fran gasped and now completely understood why they were here. 'She was kidnapped? What did they do to her?' She asked and he knew his mom's attention was more towards the bruising that could be seen on Penelope's chest and neck, the fact her arm was in a sling and she radiated vulnerability.

'She was buried alive, she died mom, right there in front of me, I thought we too late.' Derek didn't bother catching his tears, he was fed up of being the epitome of strength, because even someone like him needed a weak moment. 'We found where he'd kept her and we dug but time had run out and as I jumped down to get her, she looked at me and then gave up.'

Fran listened to the confession from her son and she couldn't speak, she was rendered speechless for the moment, as she tried to gather herself together to help him, to give him the motherly words he was in dire need for and then she heard him intake a breath again.

'But she came back to me.' He looked up and smiled, almost nervously. 'She didn't die but she's sinking so I thought that with Mayer's still being out there, the best place for her to recuperate was here.'

'He isn't caught?'

'No, he got away; he knew how the team worked.' Fran looked confused at that sentence and Derek noticed it almost immediately. 'He'd worked with Pen before, she let him in because she knew him but he took her, to prove that the tech isn't always safe, he was getting us back because we didn't save his sister months ago.'

'So what else did he do to her? I mean the bruises, the cut on her cheek...'

'He hit her once but dropped into one of the boxes while we were watching, he knew we'd watch it and he was right. She broke her collar bone and bruising on her back from the fall.'

'Okay so what care does she need? I can get stuff from the hospital if need be, you name it...'

'We've got all the medication she needs. She's just not herself and I thought giving her some support from somewhere outside of Virginia might help.'

Fran nodded but then looked at him seriously. 'What about her family? I mean surely that's a better option to help her.'

'She doesn't have any family other than me and the team.' He saw his mom look saddened by that sentence. 'Her parents died when she was 18, her and her brother's just split, she has no contact with her old life, she lives for the now but I want her to have a family again.'

'Have you told her you love her yet?'

Derek laughed and ran a hand over the back of his neck as his mom's tenacity in that sentence rung in his ears. 'No and I won't... she deserves better than me, someone that's going to be suitable for her, I'm not enough.'

'How do you know that? I think Penelope's got more of a say in this than just you, it's both your lives.' Fran told him as she took his hand. 'She's going to need you there a hundred percent but if you love her, don't bottle it up, it never helps and in the long run it will be a bigger killer than keeping it a secret.'

Derek smiled at his mom, always one for words and always one sort his head out. That was another one of the reasons he had bought Penelope here, he wanted her in a place that she could seek refuge and get the support and love off someone that could be her mother seeing as she had lost her cruelly.

They heard a noise from upstairs and Derek muttered Penelope's name as he shot off the couch and headed towards the stairs, his mom closely following. He entered his old room and heard the sobs before seeing Penelope on the floor; her knee's drawn up, her free arm shielding her.

'Baby girl.' Derek whispered gently as he crouched down to Penelope's level. 'What's wrong?' She didn't respond so he got closer to her, pulling her body close to his. 'Talk to me princess.'

Fran watched her son from the doorway, the entire realised that this was a side to her son she hadn't seen before, the one where he used his heart to help him help the one he loved, she smiled because she knew that with that type of emotion coming from him Penelope would get better.

'I couldn't open the window.' Penelope said and sobbed harder at how pathetic she felt. 'That's stupid, I'm sorry.'

'Not stupid.' He told her and kissed into her hair. 'Why did you want it open?'

'The rooms too stuffy, I woke up and thought I was back there...' Her voice quivered at the end of her sentence as she trailed off. 'I think they're starting.'

'I think so too.' Derek replied knowing she was talking about the nightmares, he'd waited it out 5 days for them to creep into her peaceful slumber and now they had, in a way he saw this the beginning of her really getting over it, that and the fact that she was opening up and admitting things to him more freely.

'Thank you.' She whispered tearfully into his chest. Derek kissed her again, Fran began to step out of the room, the view in front of her was an intimate moment and she didn't wanted to pry in on such a time but just as she got out of the room and into the hallway she heard a thing that had not only proven her right but had made her heart soar. 'I love you.' Penelope told her son.

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**A/N: **Okay so I wasn't going to go all MG but what the muse wants the muse gets and this chapter was born due to that simple reasoning!

Anyhoo! Hope you're still enjoying!! =)


	10. Cutting Corners

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – just a dream! =(

* * *

Penelope had never felt safe than she did with Derek's arms wrapped around her, she'd been in Chicago a total of only 3 days but every night Derek slept with her she was dreamless, the moments she went to take rest and sleep off a new round of pain meds alone she found her sleep was truly disrupted and not normally, it was all about her fighting with the enclosing of the box around her.

Derek still hadn't truly told her he loved her and even though he devoted all his time on her she felt she had ruined them. 'I'm sorry I told you like I did, that I blurted it out like that.' She whispered and felt his muscles tense. 'I just, since, when, while....' She stuttered, but took a deep breath and persevered. 'All I could think when I was in that box were my regrets.' Derek remained slightly and she could swear that he was holding her breath. 'I couldn't think of what life would be if I got out of that place Derek, I couldn't see any hope, all I could see was my life played out before me and to be honest it scared me.'

'Baby... are you regretting telling me you love me?'

'I guess I am, but before that I was regretting not telling you and so I did and I feel like we're different.'

'Of course we're different silly girl... we're in love... so of course we're different.' She tried not to smile. 'I think you're too sleepy to remember the amounts of times I tell you I love you throughout the night when I protect you from what happened.' She blushed, she didn't remember them, she remembered the calming effects he had on her but not much else, let alone waking up in the middle of the night. 'I'll tell you for the rest of my life and yours that I love you but don't regret it Pen.'

'It's just, I don't know, I didn't know how it sat with you.'

'Well it sits quite comfortably really and a little secret you should know is that while you were missing all I had were regrets, how I had left it too long to tell you how I felt, how I have felt for years and I panicked at the prospect of losing you from my life.'

'Well I guess we were both wrong eh?'

'Completely.' He told her and leant down to kiss her, at first she jumped at the action before acknowledging and accepting what was happening.

'I hope you realise you'll be the one playing hide and seek with the kids if we're spending a lifetime together.'

'Oh, so you want my kids?'

'They'll be gorgeous little Derek Morgan's.'

'And Penelope Garcia's or as I like to think of them, little baby girls.' Penelope giggled at the thought and then they snapped back and looked at one another. 'So would you marry me?'

She bit her lip. 'I think I would.'

'Think?'

'No, okay! I know I would.'

'Well it's settled then goddess.' He said and went for another kiss. 'We're cutting corners on this one, we've literally been with one another since day one.'

'Mm, day one.' She said and snuggled. 'But I meant it, any hiding in cupboards, that's your job... as Reid put it I'm going to be a taphophobic for life.'

'Taphophobic?'

'Scared of being buried alive...' She trailed off when he nodded.

'Well I'd say that boy should leave long, unheard of words to his own mind and just understand that you're claustrophobic.'

'Sounds good.' Penelope then snuggled into his side, seeming to need his comfort to engulf her again. 'Did we really just talk engagement, marriage, children, and hide and seek?'

'We sure did beautiful because its gonna happen and its gonna happen good.' He then kissed her head and made sure she was getting enough of his energy to make her feel safe, he would tell her later that Mather's was caught, for now it was all about the prospects of their life together, his thoughts clouded with the idea that Penelope did die and if they'd been a split second later she wouldn't be here now but then he felt her hand run up his leg and as he looked down at her, she was there and she was alive and they had plans that were going to happen because neither one was more dominant in this relationship, they were on a blatant par with one another.

Just how he wanted it to be and just how he knew she wanted it to be.

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**The End!**

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_**A/N:**_ I was gonna put a twist in here but I thought my muse is running short I don't think I could do it justice and I'd go for the happily ever after than ruin it all!!

So I hoped you all like it and thanks for the reviews!!! =)


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